AFRICA - House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats

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tions. The SAPS continued its major restructuring and transformation from a primarily
public order security force to a more accountable, community service-oriented
police force; however, it remained ill-equipped, overworked, and undertrained. The
SANDF and the SAPS border control and policing unit shared responsibility for external
security. The Government continued to train and organize the new Directorate
of Special Operations (DSO), dubbed the Scorpions, to coordinate efforts
against organized crime and corruption. The civilian authorities maintained effective
control of the security forces. Some members of the security forces committed
serious human rights abuses.
The country has a population of approximately 44,560,000. The economy continued
to undergo important fundamental changes as the manufacturing, wholesale
and retail trades, transportation and travel services, and communication services
continued to grow and the contributions of agricultural and mining sectors to the
economy declined. The distribution of income and wealth remained highly skewed
along racial lines and between urban and rural citizens. Official unemployment remained
high at approximately 29 percent, with some studies indicating that it was
even higher. More than one-third of employed persons worked outside the formal
economy. The country suffered from a significant shortage in skilled workers, and
many black citizens were poorly educated, ill housed, unemployed, and ill equipped
to function in a globalized economy.
The Government generally respected the human rights of its citizens; however,
there were serious problems in several areas. Some members of the security forces
committed unlawful killings due to use of excessive force, and there also were
deaths in police custody. Although declining in number, politically motivated or
extrajudicial killings committed by nongovernment persons remained a problem.
Some members of the security forces were responsible for torture, excessive use of
force during arrest, and other physical abuse. Some members of the police beat,
raped, tortured, and otherwise abused suspects and detainees. The Government took
action to investigate and punish some of those involved and committed itself to
curbing future killings and other abuses. Prisons were overcrowded, and prison employees
and other prisoners abused prisoners. The judiciary was overburdened, and
lengthy delays in trials and prolonged pretrial detention were problems. The Government
generally respected citizens’ privacy; however, the law provides for state
monitoring of all telecommunications in criminal investigations. Legislation posed a
potential threat to the independence of the media, and self-censorship existed. Police
forcibly dispersed a demonstration during the year. Xenophobia continued to be a
problem, and there were a number of violent attacks on foreigners, including refugees
and asylum seekers. Violence against women and children remained serious
problems, and discrimination against women and persons with disabilities also remained
problems. Child labor, including forced child labor, was a problem. Child
prostitution and trafficking in persons were serious problems. Gang violence continued
to be a serious problem in the Western Cape, and vigilante violence and mob
justice continued throughout the country. South Africa was invited by the Community
of Democracies’ (CD) Convening Group to attend the November 2002 second CD
Ministerial Meeting in Seoul, Republic of Korea, as a participant.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), created to investigate apartheidera
human rights abuses, made recommendations for reparations for victims, and
granted amnesty in return for full disclosure of politically motivated crimes. The
TRC concluded its activities at the end of 2001; however, the final report was not
released by year’s end.
RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
Section 1. Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom From
a. Arbitrary or Unlawful Deprivation of Life.—Police use of lethal force during apprehensions
resulted in numerous deaths, and deaths in police custody was a problem.
The Government took action to investigate and punish some of those involved
and to prevent future abuses. The Government’s Independent Complaints Directorate
(ICD) investigated deaths in police custody and deaths as a result of police
action. During the period from April 2001 until March, there were 214 deaths in
police custody and 371 deaths as a result of police action. The ICD’s report listed
subcategories under deaths in police custody, which included natural causes, suicide,
injuries in custody, injuries prior to custody, and possible negligence. The Government’s
cooperation with the ICD was poor.
According to the ICD, shootings accounted for 88 percent of all deaths by police
action. Of the killings committed by police, 90 occurred in KwaZulu-Natal, 82 in
Gauteng, and 48 in the Eastern Cape. The Free State had the fewest with five
killings. During the year, police in pursuit of fleeing suspects shot and killed 20 in-
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